Who's LuSundra?

Hey there! Since you're here, you're wondering who is LuSundra? I am excited that you're here! I am a military spouse, and mom of 2 awesome children. I LOVE personal and leadership development. I want to share with you and learn from you also! My...

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Chris Record Tax Problems from a Tax Professional

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Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ~Peter 5:8‭-‬9 NIV Can we queue Michael Jackson 'You are not alone'? It has been awhile since my last entry. I was going through a desert season. In those seasons we often feel that we are alone, and that no one understands. We know it's not true, but we feel that way. Things start going haywire. Your kids at crazy. Your business goes through a slump. Your spouse starts to get on Every. Single. Nerve. All this stuff happening simultaneously. You look up at God and ask, 'What did I do?!' You became the target of attack. You wonder aloud, 'Is it just me or...'? No. It's not just you. It's every follower of Christ who is sharing the good news of Christ. You have to stand with the whole armor of God, strong in faith, wielding the Word of God at your enemy. Know that there are others fighting with you. Together, with God on your side, you will win. . . . . #abetteryouprint #inspiration #motivation #personaldevelopment #soultribe #verseoftheday #success #instagood #instadaily #instapic #photooftheday #inspiration #lawofattraction #ladyboss #savvybusinessowner #mamaprenuer #mompreneur #entrepreneur #meditation

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He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my Lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” ~1 Kings 3:25‭-‬26 NIV In this story, 2 prostitutes came to Solomon. Both prostitutes had babies, but one of the children died. The mother of the dead child swapped her baby with a live one while the other mom was sleeping. They were now standing before Solomon to determine to whom the living child really belonged. The mom of the living child knew her child, but when Solomon said to kill the child, she did not think of herself. She was ready to give him up to save his life. No mother ever wants to see harm done to their children. The mother of the dead child was experiencing an indescribable torment. Her child died. The pain of empty arms, where a child once was, is one that never goes away. Taking the other baby was wrong. She was distraught. When Solomon said to kill the child, she agreed. I believe she wanted someone to hurt like she was hurting - to understand the level of grief she was experiencing. I once heard someone say, 'Mother is not who I am. It is a role I play.' That couldn't be more incorrect. A mother will give her life to save her child. If you want to see a woman lose all sense of sanity, threaten her child. A mother knows her child. She knows every nook, cranny, sigh, whine, or cry. There can be 100 kids in room, and every mother would know her child's squeal of delight and scream for help. Nobody loves like a mother. A mom never stops being a mom. The child may be grown and have a family of their own, mom is still mom. The child can be with the Lord, but a mother's love will transcend time, space, and the heavens. Happy Mother's Day Mamas! Enjoy your day!

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In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. ~Psalm 127:2 NIV 'Team No sleep'; 'Sleep is for suckers'; 'Sleep when you're dead'... All these things I've been told or even said to myself or others. Working hard is valued in our society. God also rewards diligent work. The question you have to ask yourself is: Are you working hard at the right thing or are you just working hard? Are you working hard based on a mission God has placed on your life or because you don't trust God to supply your needs and don't know what else to do? Some people work to the exclusion of family and rest. All they do is work. I say 'they', but I have been guilty of this too. How many times have you said to your children 'Not now'? Or to your spouse, 'I got this thing at work.' You miss family events, little league games. Life passes you by. When you get the chance, listen to a song called 'Cat's in the Cradle' by Harry Chapin. It's an excellent illustration of what this looks like. There will be times of imbalance in our lives, where the situation calls for us to lose sleep. Tax season is my season of imbalance. There are Iong hours, hustling and bustling, staying up late and getting up early. Please note the word 'season'. Seasons are temporary. Some people don't know how to, or are afraid to, shut it off. We all need rest, rejuvenation, and to spend time with our loved ones. When it's time to work, go hard in the paint. When it's time rest, rest easy. God will provide for you while you're sleeping and while you're awake... or was that Santa?

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So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord , the God of your ancestors, has given you? ~ Joshua 18:3 NIV At this point in the bible, the Israelites crossed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, the land God promised them long before they got there. Now that the Israelites were there, it was time to get to work. They had some kings to defeat, and some folks to drive out, but God had already given this land over to the Israelites. There was one tribe that complained that their allotment wasn't enough. Joshua's response, 'What are you telling me for? Go clear the land and take what you need. You can handle it.' There were 7 tribes who had not received their portion of the land. I can just imagine Joshua: 'Look, what are y'all waiting on?? This land is ours. Why are y'all in my face talking about what you don't have when God has already given this land to us? Go survey the land and we'll divvy it up.' When these folks complained, Joshua sent them to action. How long will you wait before taking what God has given you? How long will you wait to do something besides complaining? We tend to believe that our blessings should come gift-wrapped, with a big pretty bow, and placed neatly in our laps. Will you do what is required to unwrap your blessing or will you complain about the wrapping? Too many of us are choosing to complain, when the blessing is waiting on the other side of work. All we have to do is take action. Start by untying the bow.

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The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. ~Deuteronomy 2:7 NIV Can you imagine traveling in a circle for 40 years? Neither could I until I realized we travel in our own circles all the time. We keep doing the same thing over and over, expecting something different. The Israelites were going in a circle waiting for people to die off. Why are you on your hamster wheel? A few years ago, I realized I was going in circles. I was making the same mistake over and over again, expecting 'this time' to be different. When I came to my senses, kinda like the prodigal son, I stopped. I mean I put on the brakes and came to a screeching halt! Something in me had to die first, before God could do a work in me. Disobedience had to die. Fear had to die. Misplaced trust had to die. Reliance on myself and others had to die. Trust me. God did not rush the process. He just sat patiently, waiting for those things to die. During that time of disobedience, I truly lacked nothing. I just acted like I did. My focus was on what was missing, not what I had. When I came to myself, I knew had some work to do. That was when I started 'North'. If you read Deuteronomy Ch2, it says they went around the mountain for 40 years. THEN, it took another 38 years for everyone in who ticked God off to die. Even though I had come to my senses, the bad habits weren't suddenly gone. It took 15 months of traveling (intense work). What's my point? We all find ourselves going in a vicious circle. It takes the hand of the Lord to bring you through and bring you out. You might not get extra, but He will certainly care for you.

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Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. ~Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV Throughout Ecclesiastes Solomon shared his wisdom. He also shared his lessons learned. Here was Solomon, the richest and wisest king who had everything, but still felt a need to search for the meaning of life, to find happiness and satisfaction. He starts out with: 'Everything is meaningless' ~Eccl 1:2. He details all he has seen and done. If you read Ecclesiastes, you'll find that Solomon got his life on! He traveled, went to parties, and enjoyed life to the fullest. The whole time, he was observing the world around him. His conclusion was that all of it was 'meaningless, like chasing after the wind.' Solomon boiled life down to one thing: Fear (respect) God and keep his commands. We should enjoy life, but fear God and keep his commands. We should enjoy the work we do, but fear God and keep his commands. We must keep God first in all we do. Otherwise it is all meaningless, like chasing after the wind.

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El Rai - God sees me. She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” ~Genesis 16:13 NIV In Genesis Ch 16, Hagar had been given to Abram (Abraham) to bear children for his wife Sarai (Sarah). That whole deal did not work out well. Hagar ran away, and now she encountered the Lord. Hagar was Sarai's slave. She was given to Abram to bear children. I wonder how old Hagar was. I can't imagine Hagar being excited about being given to an 86 year old man for breeding purposes. According to custom, she would bear the child, but the child would belong to Sarai. She would endure the pain, perhaps raise the child, but the child would belong to Sarai. Mamas put yourselves there for a moment. Hagar began to despise Sarai. Can't say I blame her. Can you imagine how helpless she must have felt? How invisible she must have felt? Nobody asked her, nor did they care, how she felt about all this. She was merely a means to an end. Have you ever felt that way? Like a means to an end? Have you ever felt invisible? Nobody seems to see what you do, or care how you feel. You're just THERE. You're screaming to be acknowledged, but no one is answering. Can somebody say 'Thank you'? Just. One. Time. Hagar ran away and encountered God. She told him her troubles. He told her to go back. Can you imagine the look on her face? 'Go back', he told her. I got you. She met perhaps the only one who truly saw her. When you feel alone, unappreciated, and even invisible, know that God sees you. He hears you. If you do everything to the glory of God, it will not be in vain. If you trust in him, He will take care of you.

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When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ~James 1:13‭-‬14 NIV 'Would you like to purchase a Snickers bar? They're on sale 3 for $1.98,' The cashier said. I responded, 'No. Thank you.' She smiled, 'Awww, you can afford to eat it.' 'Nah, I'm good,' I replied, as she rang up my purchase. If you don't know, there isn't a Snickers bar that I have met that I don't love. I had Kermit going on in my head. Me: You're working on a goal. The other me: Screw that goal. Gimme a Snickers! We all get tempted. We all have desires - Good and evil. The question at every temptation is to which desire will you surrender? Napoleon Hill said,'The starting point of all achievement is desire'. The starting point of failure is desire as well. It's in acting upon a desire that determines our outcomes. The choices we make determine our achievements or failures. As I write this, my desire is to lay here on my couch and go back to sleep. I also desire to look good and feel good through working out. Most days I work out. Sometimes the couch wins. In my weak moments, I have to remind myself of the good desires. I try to make the right choice, even when I don't want to. I could have bought the 3 Snickers bars, but I know I wouldn't have eaten just one. Knowing that, I refused altogether. Don't even turn down a road that's bad for you if there is even the slightest hint of failure. Focus on the good desires of your life. Make the choices that move you in the right direction. Sometimes the choices are easy. Most days though, you gotta walk away from the Snickers bar.

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There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ~Proverbs 6:16‭-‬18 NIV I wrote up this morning to hear of a man who killed another on Facebook Live. A news station posted the video on their wall, and of course it has been shared numerous times. It's bad enough that this killer shed innocent blood. What about those who are quick to rush and spread the news? Too often we perpetuate the noise. The news media, in an effort to be 'The First' to report the 'news', rushes to get the breaking news on. We sit glued to the media outlet - TV, Social media, radio. When we get the 'news', we just GOTTA go tell it, because WE want to be the first to share it amongst our friends. The news is generally never good. We are so drawn to the negative, because our minds are hardwired for survival. Our spidey senses tingle when something bad catches our attention. In the early development of man, this kept us alive. Joe ate that berry and died. Don't eat that berry. Now, negative news keeps us hypnotized. It's a drug. We're junkies, and the media is the dealer. I'm not hating on media. I'm challenging thoughts and behavior. In this particular incident, people in the area should know a killer is roaming around shooting people. Does EVERYONE on the planet need to know that? The minimum age for Facebook is 13. Does a 13 year old child REALLY need to see that? Then, we wonder what's wrong with our youth. What would our world look like if we collectively just stopped? Stopped spreading fight videos, murders, and hatred? Just stop.

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They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” ~John 11:56 NIV Today is the culmination of Holy Week. Christians worldwide are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The funny thing is that we argue over the details. I saw a report on Good Friday that said historians believe the path considered trace the last footsteps of Jesus is incorrect. There are arguments of whether he died on Friday and rose on Sunday. There is further discussion about whether Easter is a pagan holiday that really celebrates Ishtar. Of course, there's the commercialization - outfits, hair, nails, baskets, eggs, candy, and bunnies. Today, people who normally don't even attend church will go. I promise you. I debated about staying home, because of the amount of people that will be attending. My church streams live on YouTube. They can have my seat 😄. With all the back and forth, sinners and saints agree on this: Jesus died and He rose. The people looking for Jesus in this scripture were plotting to kill him. Why are you looking for him? Why are you going to the temple today? Will you go out of obligation to grandma, because she has put her matriarchal foot down? Will you go to show off your new clothes? Will you go to see if Jesus shows up today, but then crucify him again by the way you live your life? In all of the festivities, remember that this is when we collectively celebrate Jesus. His death and resurrection has given us a new opportunity for salvation IF you accept him. None of these arguable details really matter. There is only one important detail: Do you know Jesus for yourself?

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‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ ~Matthew 20:12 NIV This verse comes from the parable of the wealthy landowner. The landowner hired workers for a wage for the day. There were dune who were hired in the last hour of the day that received the same money as those who were hired first thing in the morning. The ones who were hired first got mad, because they were EXPECTING more. That's how some super-saved Christians act. 'I've been a Christian longer than you, therefore I am better than you, and I'm gonna sit closer to Jesus than you.' We see it all the time. The truth is that whether you accept Christ today or if you accepted Christ 100 years ago, the salvation is the same. In this parable there is a key element I want to point out. The workers hired at the end of the day were LOOKING for work, but no one hired them. They didn't wait until the end of the day to start looking. They had been looking all day. If you are reading this and have not accepted Jesus, do it NOW. Don't believe that you can know about Jesus, wait your whole life, and then get salvation just before you die. You may not get that opportunity. This moment, right now, is all you have. You are not promised another second. The wealthy landowner is looking for workers. Are you available? I invite you to accept his offer.

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And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.~Luke 4:13 KJV When Jesus was in the wilderness, Satan tempted him three times. First, Satan tempted his flesh with hunger. Next, Satan tempted him with lust for power. Lastly, Satan tempted Jesus with pride AND quoted scripture to tempt Jesus. When all that failed, the Bible says Satan left him for 'a season'. The NIV says Satan left him until an 'opportune time'. We all have wilderness experiences. At some point, we all feel lost. We are all tempted at times. It's at those times that we must know who we are. We must be trained and rooted in the word of God. As you can see, the devil knows the Word too... and better than us (he's had a lot longer time to study). What better way to win a victory than to know your opponents playbook. Even when Satan used Psalm 91 to tempt Jesus, Jesus rebutted Satan's misuse with the proper Word. You won't know misuse of the Word unless you have read it yourself. Whether we pass or fail the temptation, Satan will come again. He will leave you for a season or until a better time to provoke you - when you're broken, weak, or at a low point in your life. Soldiers train in peacetime in order to be ready for war. Use this time to train yourself. Read the Word. Apply it to your life. Prepare yourself for the temptations. It's not a question of IF trials will come, but when. If you stay ready, you won't have to get ready.

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“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ ~Luke 13:25b-27 In our lives, we have different levels of relationships. We have family, which is usually closest to us, and then the varying degrees of acquaintances - friends, colleagues, somebody you met, the people you have heard of, and then there are the people you don't even know. As a society, we are consumed by the lives of celebrities. We are so enthralled that we believe we know everything about them, and that we know THEM. HOWEVER, if you were to show up at Beyoncé's house, would she let you in? You might say, 'I go to all your concerts, watch all your videos, follow you on social media, and buy all your music. I know when your birthday and anniversary are. Your mom's name is Tina and your sister is Solange'. You know all this stuff. You are a card-carrying member of the Bey-hive, but she would have you arrested and escorted off her property! You don't know her personally. More importantly, she doesn't know you! Jesus is saying the same thing. Unless you have a personal relationship, Jesus doesn't know you. I don't care how much you know ABOUT him. If you have not studied the word of God for yourself, and lived a life that reflects Jesus, he doesn't know you. Have you read the Bible? Fed his people? Clothed the naked? Called just to say hi? Don't let Jesus be a celebrity in your life. We all start out in the entourage, but make it your business for Jesus to know who you are.

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Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ~1 Corinthians 6:19‭-‬20 NIV Can we talk health for a moment? As a nation we are in a huge Healthcare debate. The current plan, the Affordable Care Act, is not working for everyone. Some people's premiums and deductibles are so high, that it isn't very affordable. On the other hand, people are getting Healthcare that they previously were not able to have. One of the issues pointed out was that too many sick people took advantage of the ACA Insurance. TOO MANY SICK PEOPLE. How can we, the United States of America, one of the richest nations on earth, have too many sick people?! Let's look at food. The 'food' we have available now isn't as healthy as it was 20-30 years ago. When produce shipped from South Africa, it's not as healthy as the produce shipped across the US. Why? It had to be picked before it was ripened and filled with all the nutrients it would have, had it stayed on the tree longer. Processed and instant foods are not your friends. The sodium and preservatives are killing us. Fast food? Don't get me started. I saw 2 commercials. The first was of a young man 20-ish dancing and singing while eating a Big Mac. It was immediately followed by a commercial with a middle-aged man who was overweight promoting a cholesterol - lowering drug. Do you look at nutrition charts when you go to your favorite restaurant? Some 'healthy' meals contain over 2000 calories! That's all we need for the day, not one meal. If we ate more nutritious food, and exercised we would not be as sick. Thirty minutes of exercise is 2% of your day. We honor God when we take care of the temple He gave us.

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For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. ~Galatians 5:14-15 NIV Look at where we are as a society today. We are operating in fear, instead of trusting God. We allow those around us to be hateful towards another, lacking the courage to correct the behavior. We allow the lawless element of a population to define the entire group. We continue to divide ourselves in the name of protecting our way of life. Who told you that YOUR way of life was the right way or the only way? Love your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Every person you connect with, from a relative to stranger on the street. We are spending less time loving and more time fearing, hating, and devouring. The more we devour, the more we destroy. The more we destroy, the less there will be to love. It really is that simple.

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When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water” ; so they filled them to the brim. ~John 2:3, 6-7 NIV What happened here was nothing short of amazing when you pick it apart. Jesus, his mother Mary, and his disciples were invited to a wedding. At the wedding, the host ran out of wine. Can you say 'major faux pas'? Remember, Jesus and Mary were guests at the wedding. Imagine you are at a wedding, and the host runs out of food. Your mom comes to you to ask you to fix it. Mary went to Jesus to ask him to fix it. In my mind, Jesus sassed his mama, asking her 'why is this my problem?' I imagine Mary giving him that 'boy, I am still your mama' look. She ignored his response, and told the servants (who didn't even work for her), 'do whatever he tells you to do.' Can you imagine how the servants looked when Jesus told them to fill the pots with water? They needed wine, not water! Jesus performed his first recorded miracle of turning the water into wine. It wasn't just any wine. Jesus produced 120-180 gallons of some really good stuff! Can you imagine being the servant that had to take that first cup of wine to the host? When you take your troubles to Jesus, he will solve the problem. Not only will he solve the problem, He will go over and above. The host of this wedding started out with an issue of scarcity. There was no wine. Jesus gave them not just enough wine, but more than enough and better than what they had. Jesus provided abundance! You see the same abundance when he fed the 5000. Not only did he feed them, but they had leftovers! Take your troubles to God. Do what he tells you to do - even if it sounds stupid. Trust in Him. He will take care of you better than you can imagine.